Envelop-fastening device.



No. esuza. Patented June 5, I900.

E. s. snmrson,

ENVELOP FASTENING DEVICE.

(Application filed July 6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOR @fl 620w g 7 ATTORNEY' EDWIN l3. STIMPSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ENVELOP-FASTENING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,126, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed July 6, 1899. Serial No. 722,906. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDWIN B. STIMPsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-FasteningDevices,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices such as are found on mailing envelops, bags, or receptacles, which provide for the closing of the envelop without sealing it. In this class of devices as commonly used there is an eyelet in the flap of the envelop, and secured to the body of the envelop is a fiat metal blade or prong which when the envelop is closed is caused to protrude through said eyelet and is then bent down to form a hook to hold the flap in place. In some cases the prong is secured to the flap, and when the latter is closed this prong is passed under a staple-of wire or other keeper and bent to form a hook. To insure the prong bending always at a certain point in its length, it has also been the practice to weaken the prong at the bending-point. These are the common forms of such fasteners as belong to the same general class as mine, and these, even when bent into a hook form, are liable to become straightened to an extent sufficient to allow the flap of the envelop to free itself during the rough handling to which the envelop is subjected in the mails; and the object of myinvention is to provide a fastener having a blade or prong which will catch and hold fast in the eyelet or keeper when bent, and

' also one that may be bent with equal facility at all points in its length, so as to adapt the fastener equally well to envelops or receptacles which are only partly full or veryfull that is, to cases where the flap folds over fully and freely, as wellas to cases where the flap can only be folded down far enough to permit a part of the prong to pass through the keeper. To effect this object, the single flat prong or blade of the fastener has imparted to it in the manufacture a wavy, sinuous, or serpentine contour, so that when it is passed through the keeper the recesses at the lateral edges of the prong on one side or the other will engage or catch on the margin of the keeper by the slight lateral displacement of the overlapped parts of the envelop, and thus'prevent the too easy accidental withdrawal of the prong. The particular means or device employed for securing the prong to the envelop is not important to myinvention. Any of the well-known devices may be employed, such as an eyelet or hollow rivet, clenching-points on a flat head on the prong, or a brad-head on the prong to be overlaid by some part of the flap or envelop-body.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 includes a face and edge view of the fastener provided with a prong of wavy contour and a head with clenching-points. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing a slightly-different wavy form of the prong and a head having asecuring-eyelet. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a form of the fasten er adapted best for attachment to the flap of the envelop. Figs. land 5 are respectively views showing an open and a closed envelop provided with a fastener of the kind seen in Fig. 1, and Figs. 6 and 7 are similar views of an envelop provided with the form of fastener seen in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 1, 4C, and 5, a is the wavy prong 01' blade of the fastener, and bis the head thereof, provided with clenching-points c. This fastener is secured, as seen in Fig. 4, to the body X of the envelop, and the flap a: of the latter has a keeper at set in it. This keeper may be an ordinary eyelet. Preferably the aperture in the keeper (1 will be of sufficient size to permit the prong a to pass through it freely, but by a slight lateral movement, or, in other words, the breadth of the metal of the prong will be preferably only a little less than the breadth of the aperture in the keeper. This, however, is not an absolutely essential proportion. The metal of the wavy prong may be of uniform width throughout, and

preferably so, as it is not deemed desirable that the prong should bend easier at one point than another. Fig. 5 illustrates the lateral engagement of one of the edge scallops in the prong with the margin of the keeper, so as to prevent accidental disengagement of the flap w.

The edge scallops on the prong cannot of course be opposite, but must alternate with each other in position on the respective opposite edges of the prong, as they would be if the latter had been corrugated edgewise. Hence the prong is compelled to engage to some extent the margin of the keeper at one side or the other.

Fig. 1 shows what may be denominated a sinuous wavy form of the prong, and Fig. 2 a scalloped wavy form. This fastener of Fig. 2 is shown as provided with an eyelet as a securing device.

Fig. 3 shows a fastener with a wavy prong like that of Fig. 1, but with a flat attachinghead I) to be applied to the flap of the envelop, as seen in Fig. 6-that is to say, by folding and pasting down apart of the flap over said head.

The keeper (1 (shown in Figs. 6 and 7) is a stapl'e secured to the body of the envelop in a known way. I have merely shown two known forms of keepers and several known forms of attaching heads or devices on the fastener for purposes of illustration. My invention is not limited to any special attaching means nor to any special form of keeper.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. A sheet-metal fastener for an envelop or the like, having means for securing it to the envelop, and a single flat prong of sinuous or wavy form, this form being produced by scallops in the opposite edges of the prong and alternating in position.

2. In a fastening device, the combination with a keeper, of a fastener of metal having means for securing it and a single flat prong of sinuous or wavy form produced by a plurality of alternately-situated scallops in its opposite edges.

3. In a fastening device for an envelop, the combination with a keeper, of a fastener of metal having means for securing it to the envelop, and having a fiat prong of the wavy form shown, the aperture in the keeper being of less width than the extreme width of the wavy prong of the fastener, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. An envelop with a securing device comprising a flat, metal fastener and a keeper, said fastener having a prong of the wavy form shown to engage said keeper, whereby the liability of the prong to accidental disengagement from the keeper, is avoided.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 1st day of July, 1899, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWIN 1%. S'lllllPSON.

Witnesses:

PETER A. Boss, HENRY CoNNn'rr. 

